


The Thin Line // Trust Issues // With a Thunderous Applause...

by QueenAshe (queenofdespair)



Series: The WizardVerse [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: #Laxuswasright, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Angst, Backstory, Battle of Fairy Tail Arc, Betrayal, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Fairy Tail's actually kinda ignorant as hell, Fantasia parade, Feels, First Meetings, Fix-It, Gen, Humor, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Introspection, Laxus Dreyar is the Only Sane One, Magic, Magic-Users, Magnolia Town, Major Character Injury, Makarov is a bad influence, My First Work in This Fandom, Post Battle of Fairy Tail arc, Smoking, Swearing, Threats, Threats of Violence, Trust Issues, Verbal Abuse, Worldbuilding, be nice and actually read all the way through, blind loyalty is one hell of a drug, creation of the thunder god tribe/thunder legion, it might turn out long but it's worth it, laxus-centric, pre Battle of Fairy Tail Arc, up until a certain point, whatever name you call them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:14:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23719543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofdespair/pseuds/QueenAshe
Summary: Going into Laxus Dreyar's head and why he was convinced this was the /only/ way.Snapshots of some moments in his life; and the life of those who /think/ they know him.Plot twist, /no one does/.---Takes place before, during AND after the Battle of Fairy Tail, aka "Laxus' Rebellion Arc" (as the fandom so affectionately calls it).
Relationships: Bickslow & Evergreen & Freed Justine, Bickslow/Evergreen (Fairy Tail), Ivan Dreyar & Laxus Dreyar, Juvia Lockser/Gajeel Redfox, Laxus Dreyar & Erza Scarlet, Laxus Dreyar & Fairy Tail Guild, Laxus Dreyar & Makarov Dreyar, Laxus Dreyar & Raijinshuu, Makarov Dreyar & Freed Justine
Series: The WizardVerse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752496
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	1. The Thin Line // Trust Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus takes a trip down memory lane while waiting at Kardia Cathedral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  
> The flashbacks/scenes Laxus isn't there for, are to explain the scenes in which he /is/ present for.
> 
> The last part is current -- as in happening now. 
> 
> And the song he's listening to is "Nowhere Kids" by Shinedown.

"I wish to work for you."

Laxus Dreyar looked up from his book to see a green-haired man in a red coat standing in front of him. "Huh? The hell? ...Why?"

The mystery man paused, as if not expecting such a question, but then fixed his face and continued. "Mmm, well.. you look like you could use some help. I couldn't help but notice you looking quite diligent! Hard at work, I'd say. Almost as if planning something, yes?"  


The Dreyar's orange eyes narrowed in suspicion as he closed his book forcefully and moved his hand to cover the title of it; _Laws of Magic and Conquest._ "Yeah. I am. And what can you do that I can't?"

"Uh, well, I do enchantments. Through Letter Magic."

"Oh? What type of Letter Magic?"

"Runes."

Laxus scoffed. "Nice I guess, but I don't need your help or anyone's for that matter. Besides, I don't even know you."

He figured Laxus would say that. Master did say he was a 'hard' person to talk to. At this point, the man smiled politely. "We can get to know each other, if that helps. My name is Freed Justine."

With a raised eyebrow, Laxus looked him up and down. He still wasn't interested. This also wasn't the first person to randomly _'come up to him'_. His suspicious eyes didn't let up, and the top half of his face darkened over as he got an idea. 

He decided to deal with him the same way he dealt with the others who tried to approach him under the guise of "friendship". 

"Oh yeah?"  He tucked the book under his armpit, the spine facing the opposite way of Freed. He stood up to his full height of 6'5", and raised his chin. Looking down at Freed through his eyelashes, Laxus was granted a view of a young man with delicate features of whom looked slightly caught off-guard. 

He saw Freed-- 5'5"-5'6" at most-- subconsciously take half a step back. 

There was a dark glint in the Dreyar's eyes. "Sure, yeah... let's get to know each other." He said this slowly, watching Freed's face light up.

"I'll go first. I'm 21 right now. I don't like happy things, I hate stupid people and my favorite past time is making them cry. It makes my dick hard."

Freed's greenish blue eyes widened and his pale face flushed a dark red. "I- I'm sorry, could you repeat the last part? I think I mishea-"

"Nah, you heard that right. I like it when people are embarrassed. Especially women. Just thinking about it right now gives me a hard-on. And the one you have on right now, isn't helping either."

Freed visibly looked uncomfortable.

"Still wanna work for me?"

"I-well-"

"That's what I thought. Now get _the fuck_ outta my face." 

He watched "Freed" promptly back away and leave Laxus in the Guild Hall. 

* * *

**Shortly after:**   
  
_"...I think he has issues."_

_"Hm?"_   
  
_"Your grandson, Master. I-I think something's wrong with him," Freed's face still flushed red from Laxus' words earlier. "Never have I met someone so... so..." He struggled to find the words; even resorting to hand gestures, which only added to his frustration because he still couldn't find the words. He blurted out, "Someone so vulgar!"_   
  
_Makarov, the Third Master of Fairy Tail sweatdropped. "Ah... yes, I should have warned you about that. He has quite the mouth on him. I'm sorry." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I've no idea where he gets it from.."  
_

_"I don't understand how such a man can be related to someone as prestigious as yourself. I mean... you are the one of the Ten Wizard Saints after all! And you're the strongest in the Guild... you even defeated Master Jose of Phantom Lord with a single attack, I heard!"_   
  
_Makarov nodded with a smile. "Mm, I did yes. And I get that often. Sadly, my child... I don't know what went wrong with him either," another sigh left him, this one being longer and heavier feeling._

_"I hope this isn't crude of me to ask Sir, but... didn't you raise him? Laxus is your flesh and blood. Surely, you must know why he's so distant towards you and everyone else?"_

_"That, I also did. Yet, I don't know why. I don't have an answer," he said rather quickly. The short man raised his cup to his lips and tilted his head back._

_Freed was sure Makarov shouldn't be drinking the way he does at his age.... but he said nothing. He probably knew already and didn't need a reminder._

_Just like how Freed was sure Makarov knew what he was doing when he requested Freed to "keep an eye" on Laxus._

_"But," Makarov said after putting the cup down next to him. "What I do know is that Magnolia's Harvest Festival is next year. I'm not sure if that means anything, but knowing Laxus, he'd do something when we least expect. If you can't befriend him, it's fine. Offer your services instead, see if he takes you on and report back that way."_

_"Of course Master, but.." Freed frowned. "I don't understand the concern. What can Laxus do that possibly has you worried? That you need me to watch over him...?"_

_"It's hard to explain. I just have a feeling. I've had this feeling for four years now. He's his father's son, after all. Which means he's up to no good."_

* * *

**Months Later** :

Laxus felt like someone was watching him. He wasn't sure why or where the feeling came from, but he was pretty damn sure he wasn't going crazy. A scowl sat on his face.

He felt like this for a while now, but for some reason, it was _really_ getting to him.

The man stopped walking, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have until the count of five. Come the fuck out, _now_."

Comedically, there was a noise which sounded like a shocked gasp.

'Aaaaand there it is.' He opened his eyes and sighed through his nostrils. _"One."_

"D-d-don't hurt me! I'm coming out!"

Oh?

It was a woman's voice. _Huh._

Out of the corner of his eye, he turned to see a fair-skinned, bespectacled woman with brown hair in a ponytail off to one side. She wore a green dress, and held a fan in one hand.

_"Why."_

"Why wha-"  
  
"Why the hell are you following me?" Laxus felt a tingling in his gums, which sometimes occured when he was particularly annoyed. Mostly, it was tied to his hidden power -- the one that made him want to destroy _everything_ in his path. This woman caught him on the wrong time of week, as this would be when he self-isolated for the sake of everyone else. Of course, nobody knew exactly _why_ , or what was up with him-- they just assumed Laxus was being stuck up and rude when really it was for _his_ mental sanity.

And _their_ safety.

But then again, this was Fairy Tail, and what was the guild without its members yelling about "friendship" and shoving the importance of _bonds_ down everyone's throats?

Magic forbid someone was an introvert.

Magic forbid that 'introvert' just so _happened_ to be related to the current Guild Master.

And magic forbid said introverted person was _Laxus Dreyar._

"Lie to me and I'll beat your ass, woman or not."

The woman fanned herself and raised an eyebrow at him. She huffed at how rude he was. 'Freed wasn't lying. He really is a vulgar one, isn't he? Well, no matter. I have charm and grace. He'll be apologizing in no time.~' She thought to herself with an arrogant smirk.

"Fine, fine. I was following you around for a city block or two," she said closing her fan and smacking it into the palm of her other open hand. "I thought you were cute but I was too shy to approach you." She then looked away and crossed her arms over her chest.

Laxus regarded her for a moment. His eyes narrowed and he thought about it.

Mentally, the woman was prepared for him to swoon over her beauty.

"Thanks."

But then he turned around and kept walking, which left Evergreen shocked. She nearly dropped her fan. 'He barely looked at me! That rude, little shi-'

"Now leave me the hell alone."

He took his leave as a lightning bolt.

* * *

When Laxus was a child, he was born with something nasty on the right side of his face. 

Neither Ivan or his wife, Alea Dreyar knew why.

All they knew is that it looked like a severe burn mark and made their child extremely insecure. No matter how many times they reassured him it would "go away", it didn't.

Not completely, anyway.

Originally, it looked like a crooked line which morphed into a zig-zag like pattern as the child gained height, body and muscle mass. The birthmark was darker than his skin, and as he went through puberty, it became lighter, skinnier and less of a nuisance.

It wasn't until Laxus entered his early teens that the birthmark seemed to settle on what it wanted to look like:

A lightning-bolt.

Because of how it was constructed, it ran from above his right eye, to below his jawline.

He didn't remember at which point he actually fell in love with his "scar".

Only that he did.

Especially in the moments where an angry Makarov didn't, and _joked_ about it. 

In any case, the flames of his resentment towards the man turned into a mini-bonfire.

Soon, it would be an inferno.

* * *

When Laxus was a child, he was _also_ sickly. 

Sick and frail.

It was his mother, Alea Dreyar who took care of him.

And when she couldn't keep up, it was his father Ivan Dreyar, who took care of him. He was the one who truly took matters into his own hands.

Contrary to popular belief, Ivan was _not_ a scumbag. 

And if he was, it wasn't in the same way Makarov was one. The old man was openly a piece of shit, what with his perverted habits he acted on, his alcoholism and verbal abuse he'd dish out to both Ivan and Laxus.

Ivan was only a scumbag because he did something-- Laxus couldn't remember _what exactly_ \-- to lose custody of him, but that was it. He doesn't remember what age it happened, but he vaguely remembered being ripped from his dad all of a sudden during a home raid. He vaguely remembered the symbol of the ankh; the fancy cross with a loop for a top. The Rune Knights, the Council's military branch burst into their medium-sized two story home. It was during the Spring season, he thought, had to be.

Yes, he was starting to remember.

Aperian, the 4th month of the year, Jovi, the fifth day of the week.

The area they lived in, like much of Magnolia was rural with a mixed of modern; grass and trees as far as the eye could see, with equal amounts of cobblestoned streets and roads. There was a specific type of bird native to their area -- a red bellied bird with a yellow beak, brown fur and black eyes. They were called _Aperas_ , after the month, because they signaled the coming of spring and duration. They came early that year.

Spring was supposed to be fun.

However, that particular one only brought pain and suffering.

Laxus was no longer a child or sickly. He was an able-bodied teenager, aged 16, with wide shoulders. He was almost 6 feet.

....Which explained why the Knights handled him like a man because they thought so in error.

It took Ivan yelling, "He's just a boy! You fucking monsters! _Leave him alone!_ " ...for them to check Laxus' Mage ID to see that they indeed had mishandled a "minor" unlawfully.

That didn't stop them from mishandling Ivan himself, and having Laxus _watch._

The boy sat and stewed in the depths of a great rage he wouldn't quite fathom yet. 

_Yet._

\----

He was dropped off in front of Makarov's house.

Yes, he remembered his grandfather's shock.

He also remembered his disapproving look when he explained why he had the bruises he had (black eye, bloody nose and swelling/bruised skin from the 'manhandling'). He couldn't recall what Makarov said, the words were lost to rage -- but he knew it just pissed him off.

Makarov hated Ivan, for reasons unknown.

Laxus _didn't_ , but he remembered growing numb and indifferent.

"Don't be like your no-good father."

"Stop being a ruffian."

"Don't do _this_."

"Don't do _that_."

Nothing but rules, restrictions and nagging. ("Smile more! I've never seen a grumpier young man in all of my years. Hahahaha!")

Something happened one day where Laxus just grew so accustomed to his grandfather's bullshit he started _agreeing._

Just to get him to _shut up._

Too bad that didn't do anything.  
  
And even worse, it did nothing but fuel his growing resentment and anger.

* * *

...And one day, it grew so much Laxus couldn't keep it to himself anymore.

"Why the hell did you excommunicate my dad?" He asked, one year later, aged 17, as an S-Class Wizard.

Makarov closed his eyes and sighed. One year of living with his grandson.

Laxus glared. One year of living with his grandfather.

How could a relationship sour further in only _12 months_....?

The old man opened his eyes and folded his arms behind his back. "He was a danger to the guild and to himself. It was for the best."

The culmination of Laxus' internalized rage and frustration of the past 2 years roared like a Dragon to the surface. "You FUCKING LIAR!"

Up until this point, Laxus Dreyar _never_ raised his voice. He never complained. He took his verbal abuse with a smile (or lack thereof, actually). He took the emotional manipulation, and the gaslighting and told nobody. He let it fester and erode away the remaining pieces of his patience and sanity-- by this point, any remnants of his personality as a child was _gone_ ; he was no longer kind. He was no longer happy. He was no longer able to smile or laugh, lest Makarov ruin it with a _"what are you laughing at, boy?"_.

Nothing about Laxus was soft anymore.

Makarov, and by extension, repeated exposure to the Guild sucked all of that from him.

All that was left was a tall, asocial young man with a short fuse, and a foul mouth who now had a fondness for drinking-- bordering addiction, no thanks to alcohol being so damn easy to access in the Guild Hall.  
  
All that was left was _"Makarov's rowdy little boy."_

_"The Grandson of Fairy Tail's Third Guild Master."_

_"Makarov's grandkid."_

Nothing about Laxus was _Laxus_ anymore, though if he were to be honest, that happened as _soon_ as he was born.

"Son, I understand you're upset about-"

"I'M NOT YOUR DAMN SON!" His voice was louder this time. Visibly sweating and shaking in rage-- the rage his body couldn't contain anymore, he continued, "I'm NOT your grandson either, damn it!! Everyone and their fuckin' parent always write me off as just someone descended from you and I'm goddamned TIRED of it!! What the fuck have you done for me, huh?! What have you done for me that I should be grateful for, HUH?! Taking me in?! Telling me how much of a bad seed I am, every time I fuck up?! What the fuck have you done for me that I should feel grateful to be related to you?! TELL ME!" He walked over to Makarov's bookshelf and toppled it over. Books skidded across the room, and the pots which held plants perched on top of it shattered, throwing dirt all over the red carpet. Laxus in his haste, stomped on the plants, which crushed and ripped the petals from the stems. This wasn't even his hidden power's fault-- the hidden power that made him want to destroy everything in his path.

This was Laxus' anger, and his anger alone.

His anger at being taken away from his dad.

His anger at having to sweep his grandfather's toxic, abusive habits under the table.

His anger at the Guild, for trying to market itself as Laxus' "family", no, forcing themselves a spot in his life -- a spot that they didn't understand had to be _earned, not given._

He was angry at himself too, because a part of him feared voicing his true feelings.

A part of him feared he wasn't being abused, that everything was in his head, that somehow he deserved it. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe he was making it up, as Makarov said because he "wanted attention". Maybe he was lashing out, because he was "at that age". But, it was because Laxus was angry he had to get these things off of his chest before they consumed him further. He may have been scared...

...but he was more angry.

And as Ivan told him once, _"There's nothing wrong with anger. Anger by itself isn't what should worry you-- it's the one that kills who you are on the inside, that you should worry about. You can use anger productively. So get angry. Be enraged. That's fine. Just use it in a productive manner, Laxus. I should know, I speak from experience. My anger.. is one of the reasons why Raven Tail exists. Don't be afraid to feel."_

"Watch your tone, you stubborn little brat! Did you forget who you're talking to?!"

Laxus glared harder. The top half of his face was darkened over, and one eye was wider than the other. With the sneer present on his face, Laxus looked intimidating. "Maybe it's _you_ who should remember who the hell you're talking to."

Veins protruded above Makarov's eyebrows and one side of his face. "I don't have to take this from you, you little shit. I clothed and bathed you for one year, and put a damn roof over your head! Maybe I should have not answered my door and left you to the streets! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?! To be a NOBODY, scrounging for chump change?! You're my damn grandson!! You're lucky I did _that_ for you, ungrateful brat!"

A part of him feared he wasn't being abused, that everything was in his head, that somehow he deserved it.

Maybe he was overreacting.

Maybe he was making it up, as Makarov said because he "wanted attention".

Maybe he was lashing out, because he was _"at that age"_.

Yet, things like this reminded him that he _wasn't_ making it up. _It wasn't in his head._

"Maybe you should have!! Hell, I'd take Dad's Guild over yours!!"

Makarov's eyes widened in shock and his mouth dropped. Whatever anger he had briefly vanished. But even that was short-lived because it came back. "You little shit! You knew the location of Ivan's guild and you never told me?! How dare you, Laxus?! You goddamned traitor!"

"Heh!" The teen scoffed. "Like you care about anything I ever say! Go to hell, you old man!" Laxus scowled and forced himself to put his hands into his pockets so that he wouldn't destroy anything else. So that he wouldn't run over and punch holes in Makarov's face.

"LAXUS!" He roared, which made the boy subconsciously flinch. "This is not a joke! Ivan has sensitive information about the guild! He'll bring to us to ruin! I need to know what he's up to! Tell me know what you know! He's a very dangerous man! Don't be a stubborn blockhead!"

"Says the guy who chased him out in such a hurry!" Laxus retorted. He laughed darkly and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Not my fuckin' problem! I'm not your spy! Or a snitch. You should've thought about that a year ago, you OLD BASTARD! EAT SHIT!"

"Don't you dare leave this room, young man! I swear I'll-"

Again, Laxus' face took on the menacing look from before. "Or you'll _what._ Gonna excommunicate me like you did my father? I fuckin' _DARE_ you _._ I'll just surpass you. I'll get all the power I can, and I'll make you look like a weak little bitch in comparison." His pupils dilated, which gave him a slightly demented, angry expression. "And it won't be for my dad's sake either. It'll be for _mine_. I'll never be anyone's, much less _your_ punching bag ever again. You want an unruly grandson....? I'll do you one better and give you one you can't control ever again. I'll give you the grandson you don't want. I'm already half-way there, aren't I? So when I become my own man, you'll have nobody to blame but yourself. So don't cry to me when your Guild gets caught in the crossfire either."

With that, Laxus slammed the door shut behind him, leaving a slack-jawed Makarov behind.

* * *

_Freed sighed. "No luck, Ever?"_

_The brunette sighed. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "He barely even looked at me," she pouted._

_Freed sweatdropped. "Ah.. Dear heavens above." The Rune Mage placed a hand on his teammate's shoulder and squeezed softly. "I'm so sorry. If it makes you feel better, I still think you're beautiful." He offered a smile and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear with the hand that was on her shoulder previously. "You'll always be the prettiest Fairy to me. I hope he wasn't too rough with you."_

_"No, he wasn't," she leaned into her friend's hand. "Thank you. But he threatened to beat me up! What a boorish man! I mean, what kind of monster do you have to be, to threaten to beat up a woman? It's like he has no manners at all! I'm convinced he has no home-training!"_

_Freed's hand stayed near her face before he frowned and dropped his arm. "It seems that way, indeed. How curious... yet, the problem I have is, Master raised him. Or at least, partially, I'm assuming. He said something about Laxus being like his father. Perhaps that has something to do with it..."_

_"His father? You mean that Ivan guy or whatever?" Evergreen made a face. "Didn't he get kicked out or something?"_

_"Yes, I asked around. That's the consensus. For what exactly, isn't clear, but what I do know is that Ivan apparently was the type of man to do what Laxus is doing now-- the self-isolation, and brooding. Apparently, Ivan only came into the guild under certain conditions, and in each one, he was very angry. I learned from Macao that Ivan even threatened to kill the Master the last time before his excommunication."_

_"Seriously?! What the hell? I'm starting to think it might have come from his father too. Has to be. Makarov's patient and kind. Those two are the complete opposite. There's no way in hell either of them are related." She huffed. "I'm gonna go on to say they're probably adopted. It would explain Laxus' hangup and his broody behavior. I mean, wouldn't you, if you knew you were illegitimate?"_

_"Oh..! I didn't think of it that way!" Freed lightly punched his fist into his open palm at the possible theory. "That.. would explain alot. I also hear he doesn't like being compared to Master at all. Maybe that's why? In that case, that would mean he's acting up because he might not feel welcome. Dear heavens, that's a terrible feeling. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Maybe Laxus needs friends, or rather people he feels like he can trust. Hm... I'm glad I asked you to help me on this mission now. I realize it may be harder than we previously thought."_

_"Of course I'd help, you're my friend after all." Evergreen smiled at him and pinched his cheek - a habit leftover from their shared adolescence together. "Oh, and I know what to call our little operation. Cute, short and to the point; Thunder Legion. Y'know, after our target. Makes sense, doesn't it?"_

_"That's wonderful!" Freed blushed at the cheek pinch and laughed fondly. "However, I believe we might need the help of one more, at least."  
  
Evergreen retracted her hand and opened her fan with the other, covering her mouth as she giggled. "Then it's a good thing I contacted someone beforehand, huh? He should be arriving in a couple of minutes. He's the perfect person I could think of!" _

* * *

**20 Minutes Later:**

Laxus Dreyar was still 21.

A man with a laid-out plan, concocted all by himself.

In fact, the only part left was to decide it's execution date. What time of day was already plotted -- it would be afternoon, when most of Fairy Tail's guild members loitered in the guild halls, drinking, fighting or worse-- doing absolutely _nothing._ How, was also plotted.

He just needed a whe--.

"Hey-yo!"

Laxus blinked. He slowly turned to his right and saw a peculiarly dressed man who reached his shoulders. 'What. The. _Hell._ '

The man stuck his tongue out, showcasing his black Fairy Tail stamp. He wore a metal visor which covered the top part of his head, leaving the bottom half of his tanned skin exposed. Laxus could have sworn he saw a nose piercing. "Man, you're like, hella tall! The hell you eat? Can I have some?"

"Can I have some?"

"Can I have some?"

"Can I have some?

"Can I have some?

"Can I have some?"

Laxus blinked again. To his surprise-- and possible horror (?) -- there were five little wooden totems with different types of faces painted on them, floating around his head. They had wings. _Wings._ He assumed the annoyingly 'cutesy' high-pitched voices came from them, considering their numbers. '....I'm losing it. I'm fuckin' losing it. This is it. This is where I start seeking professional help-' The Dreyar immediately facepalmed, rubbed his face, then sighed into his palm. "What the hell do you want, punk?"

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!" He exclaimed with a laugh. He waved to Laxus, which went unreturned.

In fact, Laxus just stared at the man blankly. As if he was- 

"Oh, that was an actual question. Uhhh, well, nothin' really." He shrugged. He actually wasn't too good of a liar, so he figured he'd be honest. "I was lookin' at cha' from a distance, and I was like _'mannnn, he looks like he needs some cheerin' up'_ , so I came right over here." The man put his tongue back in his mouth and grinned widely.

It made Laxus want to punch his face in. Somehow, he suppressed the urge to.

Somehow.

"So... what's up?" He rocked back and forth from the balls of his heels to his tippy toes. His dolls repeated after him.

The blonde-haired glared at the dolls. "....do they always do that? Repeat what you say? It's annoying as hell."

"Yeah, kinda. I mean, I get it. They annoyed me too a little but it grew on me so I'm cool with it now, hahaha!"

"Mmm, nice." Laxus deadpanned. "Look, if you want to mindlessly chat with someone, try someone else. Not me. I'm not the small talk type of guy." He stepped around him and prepared to walk away.

"See, I thought you'd say that. Buuut," the man turned around and blocked Laxus' path again, earning him a harsher glare from the Lightning Mage. "That's okay because I'm not a small talk guy either! See? We have one thing in common already!" He raised a finger. "Who knows? Maybe we have more than one thing!"

Laxus' eyes did not let up. "Oh yeah?"

Time to get rid of him the way he did everyone else.

"Ya' _sure_ about that?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, why not, man? Look, I'll go first. I'm 22."

"21."

"That's close! Oh, right. My name. It starts with a B! Bickslow."

He wasn't concerned with learning who he was. Not really. "I like frying people alive."

"Yea- wait, what?"

The corner of his lips lifted into a smile, one that made Bickslow slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah, I touch myself to the smell of burnt skin. Turns me the fuck on."

The dolls were quiet and so was Bickslow. 'Um-'

"Looks like we don't have too much in common after all." He tilted his head to the side. "...Or maybe I should go on? Do you like pissing on graves or is that just me too?"

Bickslow sweatdropped. "...Not to kinkshame ya' or anything, but uh, you need some help, man." His babies repeated "some help, some help!".

"Yeah, maybe I do. Think your mother can help?"

"Ha!" Bickslow laughed. "She's dead!"    
  
"You think that'd stop me?"    
  
Bickslow again, was taken aback and laughed nervously before continuing casually. "Hey man, that's illegal! I think.... Actually, don't quote me on that, I'm not sure. Anyway don't go 'round fucking corpses, that's not cool! And unsanitary!" 

"Maybe I'll fuck yours." 

Bickslow pointed comedically at a laughing Laxus. "You better not! Stay away from my cor--" Then he dropped his finger upon realizing something. "But I'm not dead yet-" His babies repeated "not dead, not dead!"  


"You will be, if you don't get the _hell_ away from me." He said this with a menacing aura surrounding him. 

"Geez man, why ya' gotta be so rude?" 

"Because fuck you, that's why." 

"Are you sexually frustrated?"

There was a pause before Laxus cracked his knuckles.  "....I'm killing you now." 

"If you kill me, you'll have to raise my babies!" 

"Fuck your kids."  
  
"Babies, don't listen to him! Stop being mean!"   
  
"Stop being _annoying_." 

"Stop being tall!"

"Stop being short."    
  
"Stop being a muscle-head!"    
  
"Go to the gym, you weak shit."

Bickslow opened his mouth to say something else but it was cut off with an abrupt punch to his jaw. 

\---

_Later that night:_

_Evergreen and Bickslow ran to the Guild's Infirmary as soon as they heard the news._

_It was her who kicked the door open, and Freed who tried to calm her down, but to no avail._

_"My baaabyyyy! Bicks, are you okay?!" She wailed as she escaped Freed's slender arms and flung herself at her friend's bandaged body, hugging him protectively. "Oh, no!"  
_

_"Oof-!" Bickslow coughed once, winced and waved cheerfully, as if he wasn't knocked unconscious for several hours. "Heyyyy, Ever," his face was muffled by her chest._

_Freed caught up with her and came to Bickslow's side, opposite of an near-hysterical Evergreen. "Bickslow, what happened? Are you alright? We rushed here as soon as we could."_

_"I'm so sorry! I didn't think that monster would hit you!" She stepped back and frowned, running her fingers along his close-shaven head.  
_

_Bickslow waved to Freed too, and smiled again. His green eyes stayed warm and friendly. "Hey-yo! I'm okay, don't worry! I just have a fractured jaw, and possibly some broken ribs. It's all cool."_

_Freed and Ever looked at him as their eyes turned into white, round circles as they shouted at the same time, "POSSIBLY?!"_

_Bickslow sat up some, disregarding Ever's protests for him to stay down. He coughed again, and then made a noise in-between a squeak and wheeze, which drew further looks of concern from both Mages. With both bandaged thumbs, he pointed them upwards. "But hey, I got good news! He likes me!"_

_"HE LIKES YOU!?"_

_He grinned. "Yeah! He says I took the longest to K.O from a punch of his. That, and I made him laugh."_

_"YOU MADE HIM LAUGH?!"_

_"Eh... actually now that I think about it-" He dropped his hands and scrunched his face in thought. "I think it was one of those 'I'm-losing-my-patience-laughs just before someone goes apeshit, but it came from me being me, so I'm counting it-" He shrugged his shoulders and then winced with a quiet, "ow-"  
_

_Both Ever and Freed fell over in a comedic fashion, legs twitching in the air. "You idiot!"_

_"Then again, I think I might have a concussion-"_

_"AAAAAAAH!" They both facepalmed at the same time._

_"Hey, nice synchronization!"_

_Freed stood up quickly and stared at him suspiciously. ".....you know the word 'synchronization'?"_

_"Pfft, of course I do. I'm not dumb. I used to be a doctor's assistant.~"_

_"WHAT."_

_Ever was next to stand up and rubbed her temples. When she was done, she noticed Freed staring at her. "What? He was! How you think I know him?"  
_

_"How do you?! .....And what the hell happened to your old profession?!"_

_"Should I tell him or you?"_

_"Nah, I got it. Ever was one of my patients.~ Met her like two years ago. She was pretty and I kinda started things first by flirting even though I wasn't supposed to. Anyway, I quit for unrelated reasons."_

_"Started-" Freed looked between the both of them. "You two-"_

_"It was once, calm down."_

_"Noooo, we did it twice and you know it, Ever."_

_"...Oh, you're right. It was. My bad." She pushed her glasses up her nose upon remembering. (There was even a giggle that she kept to herself).  
_

_"MY EARS. What on Earthland am I HEARING right now?! Wait, aren't relationships like that illega--?!"_

_"Anyway, can we please get back on topic?" Ever ignored Freed's question. "What else did that brute tell you?"_

_"Oh! Yeah, so he said he was surprised I didn't immediately knock out, and I think he hit me again. Uh, there was some stuff about me being stubborn-- oh yeah, he said 'I can't believe someone as dumb as you let me hit them twice'. That's a compliment, right?"_

_"....he called you an idiot."_

_"Oh."_

_"Freed?"_

_"Sorry, Ever. Continue, Bickslow."_

_"Yeah, so anyway- I'm not really a good liar so I kinda, sorta told him that I was sent to check up on him. I told him some personal stuff about me too, you know, like icebreakers and stuff. Uh.. but he's a little weird though. He got some strange kinks. He even said he wanted to fuck my dead body-"_

_"HE WHAT?!"_

_"Hey, hey now. Don't kinkshame, y'all. It's not nice. Oh, and he also said that because I took too long to knock out, I could ask a question as a reward and he'd answer honestly. So you know, I asked without trying to give us away. He said he's planning something big. But, it's a surprise. All he would tell me is that it's a prank to scare Master."_

_ Freed stared in disbelief. "A prank? Seriously? That's all?" _

_ Bickslow shrugged. "Didn't want to push. I only got one question, and I didn't wanna waste it. He's a reallllllly hard egg to crack. But I trust him. He did answer honestly... I think. So I'm just gonna assume it's a prank. He's a scary dude, but I don't think he's that bad. Just kind of a dick, though."  _

_ "What an understatement.." Ever scoffed.  _

_ "A prank. Master's scared because of a prank? How bad could it be, then...?" Freed ran his fingers though his hair. "Well, this is good. We know something. Good job, friend! Now we have info to report to Master."  _

* * *

A year passed.

Laxus Dreyar was permanently stuck at the height of 6'5" at 22 years old. 

Makarov Dreyar was correct, in thinking he was up to something, but what exactly, remained a mystery even to the Thunder Legion, despite all their attempts to get closer to him.

Laxus was heavily guarded, armed to the teeth, and protective over himself. Over his thoughts, his secrets. The only things the team was successful in learning about him were trivia things, more or less, such as his drinking habits and the occasional cigar he'd smoke. They were also able to nail down his fashion tastes-- he was expensive and liked furs, leather, dress shoes. He had an affinity for collars and button-down shirts.

He liked his alone time to the point of being volatile if it was needlessly interrupted. He didn't like having to answer too many questions at once. He didn't like crowds, stuffy places, or social gatherings. At one point, the team even theorized that he might have been suffering from social anxiety -- but this was quickly shut down by Bickslow, who to their surprise/non surprise, more accurately described his behavior as being more in line with _asociality_. (Freed still refused to believe Bickslow was a regular doctor's assistant pre-Magic awakening). 

Sadly though, none of this helped them, because it only left more questions than answers.

Freed wouldn't say it, but he had a sneaking suspicion Makarov wasn't saying something they needed to know. However, he didn't have the heart to voice it. Who was he to question the man that gave him food, shelter, a place to stay and a physical home? He and Evergreen were independent Mages who met by happenstance, and heard about Fairy Tail. Being Independent wasn't too bad, but compared to all of the benefits that came with being part of a Guild? A more stable income being part of that package deal and joining together didn't sound awful, despite the guild's reputation of property destruction and other long list of grievances. He didn't want to seem ungrateful, and he didn't want to be disrespectful. He could only assume Evergreen felt the same way.

Bickslow, however, sensed that the both of them weren't saying something As he himself said, he wasn't stupid. But, he understood why the hesitation was there. Makarov accepted Bickslow when he quit, on a recommendation made by Evergreen. He was grateful to the old man, he didn't have to take him in, didn't have to console Bickslow and tell him he wasn't a demon, or a psycho for _seeing the dead_. But Makarov did, showed him kindness and compassion-- it was hard to see as anything other than a father figure. He was a lost young man, who was unceremoniously thrown into the world of Wizardry and Magecraft. In fact, he was the same age as Evergreen -- 20. Freed was the oldest of them, being 22.

None of them wanted to address the elephant-- or rather, _Mage_ in the room.

None of them wanted to ask the question; "What did Makarov do to him?" because there was no proof he _did_ anything.

It was much easier to believe Laxus was just the black sheep, the outlier of the family. It was easier to just "go with it", and play pretend.

Much, much easier.

And it was easier to betray him, following this line of logic.

_He's a bad guy who needs to go down. Even if he hasn't done anything yet. Master said so. He'd never lie to us. That goes against what Fairy Tail is._

They were right-- it _would_ go against what Fairy Tail stands for -- it _does_. It would also make their infallible leader, _fallible_ , _human_ , a flaming hypocrite. But that was too much to handle. That didn't fall in line with the idealized version of Makarov who lived in their heads.

Didn't fall in line in what they projected on him and what the old man projected _to others._

They would choose.

They would choose _wrongly_ , and _blindly declare it to be right._

And Laxus knew this.

Because he knew all along that they were spies. He knew none of them had his best interest at heart.

The power to destroy everything blessed him with enhanced senses, one of which included hearing. When they thought he was out of earshot, he'd eavesdrop on them whispering among themselves, as he pretended to listen to his music. Due to being Ivan's son, he learned how to sense magical power. He knew which one was tailing him even if they didn't give themselves away, so he'd purposely lead them astray. He was tall, muscular and intimidating, so even if their mouths spewed pretty lies and half-truths that sounded good, he was able to see their eyes and bodies falter.

Sloppy, all of them.

They gave themselves away long before Laxus even thought about toying with them.

Makarov couldn't be slick if he tried.

It was a shame.

Because of their blind loyalty, they were caught in the crossfires without realizing.

_"You've inspired_

_The birth of ignorance,_

_The death of innocence!_

_Guess who's back and mad as hell,_

_The nowhere kids that wished you well!"  
_

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and rubbed at them lightly. Then, one of his hands, he withdrew the Sound Pod from his pocket and paused the song.

He started it over, stood up from the steps leading to the cathedral's stage, and stretched his arms out. 

_"All it takes is a main attraction,_

_Scattered bones underneath the fashion,_

_Lower life on a higher plain,_

_That's what you want_

_That's what they're givin' away!_

_Photogenic, come and get it!  
_

_You can have it,  
_

_Take it all!  
_

_Schizophrenic, so sadistic  
_

_I don't know,  
_

_I don't know  
_

_Politicians, sick condition  
_

_Dyin' for a curtain call-"  
_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone, a familiar person walk inside Kardia Cathedral. He lowered his arms, shoved his hands into his pockets and scowled.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing here?"


	2. With A Thunderous Applause...  Things Fall Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus activates Thunder Palace. 
> 
> The implications of which, are genuinely terrifying.

Freed Justine stopped a couple of feet in front of Laxus Dreyar.

Admittedly, it was a good question. What _was_ he doing here?

He squared his shoulders and willed himself to talk. It was harder than it looked, being able to stand up to a scary man like Laxus.

"I... I've having some reservations about this 'prank' of yours, Sir."

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "....Yeah, _and?_ What about it?" 

"I .. think it's ... I believe you may be going too far-"

"Oh.~ I see." He removed his Magic Headphones and held them in one hand. "Your spineless ass is gettin' cold feet, huh?"

"W-what?! No! I mean- I'm sorry, Sir. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see how this prank is funny. They're designed for people to laugh, yes?"

"Yeah. And I'm laughing about it. Maybe _you_ just don't have a sense of humor." Laxus' tone was flat and dismissive. With a snort, he gazed at a flustered and frustrated Freed.

"Petrifying the girls is one thing, but the barriers you had me put up... Laxus, some of the members are hurt! I didn't want-"

"Look, if you want out, all you gotta do is say so. I don't really give a shit. Like I said when we first met, I don't need your help and I don't need anyone else's help. Go soothe your bleeding heart elsewhere."

Freed's hands curled up into fists. "N-... no! No! I refuse!"

"...no?"

"No!"

Laxus regarded him for a moment. A smirk crept onto his face, causing Freed to subconsciously take a half-step back.

_Good._

_'As long as he knows his place.'_ "What about your two friends? They planning to back out too, or is it just you?" 

He bit on his lower lip before he continued, "I.. cannot say. I only speak for myself."

There was a pause. Both men looked at the other, stared for a long time. Freed's eyes were soft and pleading, friendly. _Too friendly_.

Laxus' were hard and rough. _Hostile._

"Then you'd better get the fuck outta my face. Or _else_."

* * *

"I can't believe that bum!" Makarov yelled. The way he flailed his arms and stomped around made him look like a child throwing a temper tantrum and not 80-something year old man. "How dare he?! I'm stuck in here while my children are knocking each other out! I should beat everyone to a pulp!"

Levy Mcgarden sweatdropped. "Master, I don't think meeting violence with more violence would help..."

"LAAAAAAXUSSSSS!" Unfortunately, Makarov wasn't listening.

Natsu pouted. "I can't believe I'm trapped in here too! I mean, c'mon! What the hell did _I_ do to get singled out?!"

The Barrier's runes over the open Guild Doors read clearly in red lettering -- red was Laxus;

_**Makarov Dreyar is not allowed to partake in the Battle of Fairy Tail unless more than half of the Guild is eliminated.** _

_**Natsu Dragneel is not allowed to participate in the Battle of Fairy Tail for any reason at all.** _

Purple was Freed's;

_Stone statues are not permitted to pass, neither are people over 80._

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_2 hours and 18 minutes._

_60 remain._

_Bickslow vs. Gray: In Progress_

_Evergreen vs. Elfman: In Progress._

_Max Alors vs. Warren Rocko: The victor is Warren._

_Vijeeter Ecor vs. Nab Lasaro: The victor is Nab._

_Laki Olietta defeats 4 other combatants._

_Macao Conbolt vs. Wakaba Mine: In progress._

"You petty bastard! LAXUS!" As if he didn't have a brain, which face it -- _he doesn't, really_ \--- Natsu kicked at the barrier again and threw punches right after, complete with yelling at the top of his lungs. "AAAAAUGHHH!"

Happy, the blue Exceed flew in and out, which only further exacerbated Natsu's frustration. "I can go just fine!"

"You aren't helping! Damn it! Am I lesser than a flying cat?!"

Levy frowned.

Getting past Freed's Barrier was one thing, but Laxus?! When did he learn Barrier Magic? And why was his much more harder to crack?!

On the second floor, a blue-haired woman frowned as well. "They're so noisy.."

"Yeah, well... that's what ya' get. You're the one who wanted to join them, Rain Woman. For what, I've got no fuckin' clue. All these idiots do is scream all damn day long. Or fight. Or whatever else they do, I 'unno." The piercing-clad man shrugged. Red eyes narrowed at her. "What the hell did you see in 'em anyway?"

She only frowned deeper and poked her index fingers together. "It was the only guild that would take Juvia. Juvia was grateful... Nobody wanted her, not after the end of Phantom Lord... drip, drip drop."

Gajeel Redfox sighed and rubbed his face. "Right. Forgot switching from a Dark Guild to Legal ain't easy." It wasn't -- the missions and internal makeup was different. The only things they had in common with Legals were the ranking system, and even that varied among Guilds, Legal or not. He placed his hand on top of her head and brought her closer to him. "Still though, I don't get what the hell's going on. Do you?"

"Hmm.." Juvia shuffled closer to her teammate of several years and tapped her cheek with a finger. Her head comfortably found his shoulder-- it always did. Easily, too. "Juvia thinks this is internal conflict. She only joined just recently so she doesn't know much else... This Laxus person sounds very troublesome... to go through all of this... Juvia can't even begin to understand what went through his head."

Gajeel sucked his teeth. "Yeah... thought you might say that." He looked over at Juvia again and absentmindedly let his thumb caress her cheek. "It's a little weird-- no, this shit is _a lot_ weird. This crap seems so easy. How long you think this guy was planning it?"

"Juvia thinks 'long enough'. But that is common sense. He had to, otherwise this wouldn't work. To be honest..." Her dainty hands found a home in his larger, calloused hand and squeezed it gently, more for herself than him. "This scares Juvia. ...Just a little. Juvia thinks he's smart. _Too smart_. If they manage to stop him, it won't be easy... drip, drip, drop."

'Juvia, scared? Man, I really don't like this guy...' The Dragon Slayer of the Iron element scowled. "How high is he on our danger scale?"

"Juvia didn't get to see him, only hear. She was backstage with Evergreen who warned her not to participate in the Miss Fairy Tail Contest. So she doesn't know what he looks like.. but... with voice only, she thinks he is 8.5."

Red clashed with deep blues.

Lazily, he rubbed at his face again, and muttered, "...sounds about right."

"Did that depress Gajeel-kun? Juvia is sorry. Drip, drip, drop."

"Nah, you're good, princess. Nothing fazes me. You know that."

Juvia smiled brightly and smushed herself Gajeel's harder, more solid body with an endearing hug. "Juvia knows that's a lie! Gajeel-kun worries about Juvia.~"

"You're my teammate. 'Course I'd care. Plus, you've been with me longer than I remember." He looked away with her with a furious blush at having to explain this. _Again._ "...And you're the only reason why I joined this guild in the first place." He did hug her back, though discreetly with a quick arm around her waist. (He had a reputation to uphold).  
  
"Juvia loves Gajeel-kun."

"More than you like the ice stripper?" He teased.

"Ah-!" Juvia's pale face turned red. "W-well-" She immediately blushed and poked her index fingers together. "Juvia... she likes dark-haired men. She cannot help it."

"Gihihi," he laughed. "No shit, I wonder _why._ " He looked at her suggestively, which made her blush furiously again.

She only whimpered and looked away from him.

He did have a point.

"Wait. You said you were warned?" Gajeel only _just_ remembered what she said. "Why?"

"Huh? Oh..." She frowned as she came to her own realization. "Juvia... doesn't know."

"I take it back. This shit is _super_ weird...."

He didn't like the sudden foreboding feeling he had.

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"YOU'RE A FUCKING PSYCHO!" Gray yelled, huffing and running over obstacles in the mall. (It was one of his favorites, hence his apprehension to blast Bickslow out of a window).

He dodged another blast from one of Bickslow's babies.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

The babies repeated after Gray.

"Aw, shut up already!!"

"Get 'im, babies! Line formation!" The tanned-skinned man laughed boisterously. "Come on, Gray! Get naked and fight me for real! If you don't, I'll have to get rougher with you!!~" 

"THAT SOUNDS WRONG!"

He narrowly moved out of the way of yet another blast.

"Ice-make--!"

"Victory Formation, babies!"

* * *

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!! Turn my sister back! NOW!!"

Evergreen flitted around and missed a mighty swipe of Elfman's Beast Arm; crimson red skin and black claws. "Tsk, tsk~. You cannot fight what you can't see, Elfman." With a taunting smile, she flew back, further up out of his reach and brought her fan down in a wide-sweeping arch as she glowed with a yellow-golden light.

"Fairy Machine Gun! Leprechaun!!"

Elfman's blindfolded face turned in the direction of the voice, but his body didn't move fast enough to avoid getting hit by dozens upon dozens -- probably even more -- of fairy dust weaponized as "bullets" that _hurt_.

He was knocked into yet _another_ establishment-- this time for flowers with a groan.

Evergreen flew down graciously, landed on her feet and tilted her head to the side. As the pink petals flew in the wind-- caused by Elfman's fall -- she smirked and cooed, "Aww, are these for me? How sweet of you.~ I do like flowers, especially brightly-colored ones. They're cute. Sad to say I can't truly say the same about you, as the only 'cute' thing about you is your name... Elfman." She walked towards the Beast-man (who was definitely, currently more Beast than Man), and leaned down to whisper something to him before she slid her glasses up.

"Ah, but don't worry. I'll make you pretty now. Gaze into my eyes and become the epitome of art!"

Her eyes glowed the same familiar gold glow.

* * *

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_Evergreen vs Elfman: The victor is Evergreen._

_59 combatants remain._

"Oh no!" Happy cried. "Elfman lost!"

"What?! No way!" Natsu yelled, frustrated. "WHY THE HELL CAN'T I FIGHT TOO?!"

"IS THAT THE ONLY THING YOU CARE ABOUT?!" Happy and Makarov both yelled at him, their eyes white, round circles.

Levy frowned yet again. 'Just ignore them. Ignore them. Gotta think, gotta think! There's something I can do, right? I mean... there has to be!! There's a reason why Evergreen spared me, so...!'

\---

_"Levy, I need to tell you something."_

_"H-huh? Me?" She pointed at herself. Evergreen usually kept to herself, always hang out with Freed, and Bickslow. Why was she reaching out? And most importantly, why did she look..._

_...remorseful...?_

_"Please, you're the only one that I can rely on!" The brown-haired woman took one of Levy's hands and clasped it in both of her glove-colored hands. "I can't tell you too much, but don't go out on the stage. I told the Phantom girl the same thing. She's new... so I didn't want her to feel unwelcome. That's not the point though. Something is going to happen, and there are barriers involved. Freed's Barriers are damn near unbreakable, but you... you're smart, aren't you? You're a Script Mage, right?"_

_Levy nodded. "Y-.. yes, I am! Why? What's happening?"_

_"I need to break you to break through Freed's Enchantments in case things get bad. You're the only one that can do it. I.. I know I haven't been much of a guildmate lately, but..."  
_

_"Hey! It's okay! We're part of the same guild, so we're already friends!" Levy smiled back and gently squeezed the woman's in return. "I don't know what's going on, but... I'll try to help! I'll try to figure it out! I promise!!"_

_\---_

'I have to do it. I got to. But how? How?!' She bit on her bottom lip again, reading at inhuman speeds thanks to her Speed Magic glasses.

* * *

'For the girls! For the girls! I gotta get to Miss Porlyusica! She'll know what to do!!' Reedus thought to himself just before-

THUD. 

"O-ow...." He winced, rubbing at his forehead. 'N-no way...! There's even a Barrier out here?! But I only just got outside the city...!'

He heard footsteps. 

Reedus turned around and his eyes widened. 

Purple runes shot up from the ground, trapping both men. 

"Al-"

"Guns Magic! TORNADO SHOT!" 

* * *

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_53 combatants remaining._

_Reedus Jones vs. Alzack Connell: Double K.O._

_Macao Conbolt vs. Wakaba Mine: Double K.O._

Laxus snorted. "Gun boy shoulda read the runes before attacking. Oh well. He was fun to watch."

Freed made a disgruntled noise.

"You're still here?" Laxus put his headphones back on. "I thought I told your ass to beat it."

His fingers curled around the pommel of his sword. "I cannot do that."

"Take your bleeding heart somewhere else. I don't care about your reservations. You're the one who wanted to work for me, remember? Not the other way around."

He ground his teeth together. Freed wasn't fond of this. He was never fond of the idea of fighting anyone that had nothing to do with him. It was a selfish of him, he had to admit, but in his mind, this 'battle royale' just didn't make a lick of sense. The guild fought each other anyway, didn't they? The only real difference was that they something to fight for now-- the lives of several girls were in danger:

Lucy Heartfilia.

Bisca Mulan.

Mirajane Strauss.  
  
Cana Albarona.

Erza Scarlet.

They had something to fight for now, which.... actually was _sad,_ now that Freed thought about it.

But he shook his head and pushed that thought out of his mind. (Or tried to, rather).

"The Master will be able to fight soon. He'll come straight to you."

"Nah, he won't. He'll send a lapdog. It's always a lapdog. You don't know that old man like I do." Laxus' bluntness and dismissive tone unsettled Freed.

'Lapdog..? What does he mean? Who is that loyal to h--'

"But...! She can't-"

"Do you honestly think that means anything?" Laxus raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't act like you don't know about Erza's artificial eye." He looked at the time-- just a little under 2 hours remained. "Pretty sure it has a special power or something. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up cutting Evergreen's effect in half. Technically speaking, she should be awakening right about now. And when she does, Master's gonna send her right to me. Which is exactly what I'm expecting him to do. I'm gonna break his precious little golden star... and _then,_ he just _might_ show up. Though that depends on something else, entirely."

"Depends on what....?"

"If Levy finishes breaking through your enchantments."

"I- wait, what?!"

Laxus chuckled knowingly. "Aw, Freed. You poor, sweet, summer child." He laughed, amused. The hostility in Laxus' eyes came back in full force, and Freed could have sworn that his orange eyes were more _yellow_ for half a second.

"Did you honestly think you could get away with trying to fool me? You most likely couldn't even do it had you actually tried harder. And to be honest, I'm tired of playing dumb." Laxus raised a hand and lightning gathered in it as a dot before forming itself into a ball the size of his palm. "And I'm tired of acting like this is 'just a prank'. Because it _ain't_."

"You....!" 

"Goodnight, Freed."

* * *

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_48 combatants remaining._

_Mickey Chickentiger vs. Laki Olietta: The victor is Mickey._

_Bickslow vs Gray Fullbuster: The victor is Bickslow._

_Freed Justine is rendered unable to fight._

_Wan Chanzi vs Joey Fullborn: The victor is Wan._

"That creepy soul guy beat Gray! KAHAHAHAHA!"

"NATSU! That's not nice to laugh at your friend like that!" Happy scolded. "This is bad, very bad!"

"Aw, come on, I laugh at him everyday. This ain't no different!"

"That's still mean too, Natsu!! You're a jerk!" 

Gajeel rubbed his temples. "It's not too late to do one big job after this and then leave the guild, right? Maybe we just haven't looked in the right places."

Juvia leaned over the railing, her chin in her palms. "Juvia supposes it's not too late." She stood straight up and stretched her arms up and over her head. "Where does Gajeel-kun suggest?"

"Anywhere but this crazy ass Guild. I feel like if I hear Natsu scream one more time, I'm gonna stab myself deaf. I didn't think it was possible to lose brain cells just being in the same fuckin' room with 'im."

Juvia giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. "Gajeel-kun has a dirty mouth. He should learn to clean it every once in a while. Drip, drip, drop."

"Oh yeah? I know you ain't talkin'. I still remember what kind a' noises you make-" A flustered Juvia slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Noooo!" She squealed. "J-juvia doesn't want to talk about that! S-she was just curious if Gajeel-kun was all Iron-!"

He removed her hand with a toothy smirk. "Gihihi. And I answered your question, didn't I? I thought you'd be happy.~"

She turned a deeper shade of red and pulled her new round-ish hat further down her face. "Juvia does not want to speak about it! Drip, drip drop."

"Gihihi!" Gajeel didn't let go of her hand. Seeing her like this-- red and flustered was cute, adorable, actually. It was preferable to Depressed Juvia who made rain clouds wherever she went, and cried for days on end.

In an instant, he remembered countless nights of making sure she was okay, that she'd eat, sleep and shower.

He remembered getting sick for her sake, and rusting in places he didn't think was _possible._

And most importantly, he remembered the _teru teru bōzu_ dolls she'd make. (One of them sat on the shelf of their shared room, next to a potted plant on the windowsill. It was the first gift Gajeel ever received in his life). 

"Oi, Juvia. Want me to kiss you again too?" 

"Ahh!" If possible, her face was even redder and she covered _her entire face_ with her hat. 

Gajeel laughed again, and yanked her arm "gently", bringing her closer to him again. Then, he slung his arm around her shoulders and took her hat off with his other one.  
  
"H-hey! Give that back to Juvia!" She reached up for it, standing on her tippy toes. 

This was definitely preferable to Depressed Juvia. 

He'd do anything to make sure she was happy. 

"Mmm, nah.~" He held it up higher. 

"Gajeel-kun! Nooo!" Her delicate features showcased a pout and puffed up cheeks. (She always did that when he teased her). 

It was the least he could do. He never had anyone in his life before her, before Phantom Lord. 

Makarov sighed, tired of Natsu's antics. (He went back to banging on the Barrier).

Looking up, he finally spotted two Mages on the Second Floor. 'Oh right, how could I forget....? Those two joined so recently. Why don't I ask them to help us?'

As soon as he opened his mouth though, Natsu yelled loudly.

"FINE! STUPID FUCKING BARRIER!"

A tick mark appeared on Makarov's forehead. 'What the hell am I going to do with you, you pea-sized brained idiot?' He was so glad Natsu was not a biological child or he'd beat him. He was pretty sure he would _actually_ beat him. His patience was wearing pretty damn thin--

"I'll just throw Erza at it!"

"WHAT?!" Makarov and Happy yelled.

"Erza cuts down everything. So I'm gonna melt the stone and free her!" He declared as he walked down the strip to the stage.

"No, you dummy!" Happy scolded. "She's not made of stone, she _is_ stone!! You're gonna make things worse!"

"Natsu, don't you fucking dare--!"

Makarov's warning was cut off with Natsu laughing.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna cook her or anything." He hopped onto the stage, and gently-- which is surprising considering all he ways that he's well, _not_ \-- picked her up. He hopped down and again, with a surprising amount of gentleness not normally associated with Natsu Dragneel, laid her on the red carpet leading to the stage.

Then he lit his fucking hands on fire and cackled like a madman.

"NATSU, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU HURT ERZA!"

"Heeheeheehee! Wakey, wakey, Erza!"

"Oh, I can't watch!" Happy wailed, covering his eyes.

Crack!

There was a sudden line above Erza's left eye-- the artificial one (that yes, Natsu forgot about because when does he remember anything?).

Crack, crack!

The crack widened, and stretched across her forehead.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" Makarov was five seconds from committing cold-blooded murder.

"I AIN'T DO NOTHIN'!" Natsu all but screeched, as he flinched at his Guild Master's yelling.

The stone cracked more.

"AHHHHH! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" Natsu clasped his hands together in prayer and bowed to the the ground repeatedly, in hopes to appease what he perceived to be Erza's wrath, even if she was unconscious. 

"Erza's a goneeeeeeer!" Happy cried, already assuming the worst.

"Move, you idiot!" Makarov shoved Natsu to one side and rushed to Erza, cradling her like she was the most treasured thing in all of his existence. (She _was_ , even if he'd deny it for several reasons, despite his favoritism not being too well hidden). "Oh, Erza! My beloved child!" He cried in a comedic fashion, his tears akin to that of two waterfalls. "I'm so sorry!"

"I-" Natsu coughed, having landed in a painful position. "I thought we were all your kids-"  
  
"NOT YOU! SHUT UP, YOU DAMN-"

Before Makarov could really lay into him, the stone shattered, turned into dust before their very eyes, revealing Erza Scarlet's form underneath.

She blinked twice before Makarov hugged her tightly.

"My daughter!! My beloved child!" He wailed, crying hysterically.

"....!! M-Master...?" Erza shook her head and sat up. Her instincts were to comfort the man, and so she did with a warm embrace. "Master," she spoke again. "It's fine. I'm okay. But please, tell me what happened?! The last thing I remember is Evergreen and... that's all. Was I...?"

"Oh no! Guys look!"

Erza immediately shot up, with Makarov at her heels. Natsu (glad he was spared from Erza's wrath) sat up to looked at the purple runes.

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_Evergreen defeats 4 others._

_Time remaining: 1 hour._

_19 combatants left._

"20?! How do we have less than 20 people left?!?!?" Makarov's jaw dropped and his soul left his body.

"What the hell?!" Natsu yelled, banging on the Barrier. "Damn it, Laxus you coward!! FIGHT ME!"

There was quiet before the storm.

Or in this case, quiet before the inevitable sound of thunder.

_K-KRAK! BOOM!_

Footsteps filled the Guild Halls.

"Oh?~ Fight you? Now why the hell would I waste my time with a small fry like you?"

They all turned around to see Laxus standing behind them.

"You coward! Now you show your face?! Fire Dragon's Iron F-!" Natsu unfortunately was the one to find out it was not _actually_ Laxus, but a Thought Projection.

Because Natsu's face collided with a pillar as he passed through Laxus' image, which knocked him out cold.

"Now that the kid is fast asleep," the Thought Projection laughed at his own joke. He smirked and continued, "Hey, rise and shine, Erza Scarlet. ....Or should I say Master's Pet?"

Erza's brown eyes narrowed dangerously. Despite knowing he was just a Thought Projection, her arms tensed, and her hands itched for one of her many swords. ".....What did you just say?"

"Ya heard me." Laxus seemed to have a specific eye for her, as he pretty much ignored every one else. He even made a show of looking her up and down condescendingly. "Master's Pet. It's what you are. Don't get mad at me that you're a mindless attack dog."

"You ...shut your mouth, Laxus!" Erza snarled, clenching her fists.

"See? You even make the same noise as one. Heheh. Eh, but it's whatever. Nobody listens to me. I'm used to it, being made to be the crazy one, that is. Maybe I am a little crazy. Who knows? I mean, tell a child he's stupid and worthless enough times and he'll believe it eventually, right? Even better if he tells himself it, despite it not being true." This time, he looked at Makarov.

"You of all people should know from experience, right, old man?"

Makarov's eyes narrowed at him. A single droplet of sweat clung to his eyebrow for a little bit before falling down the side of his face, almost like an invisible tear. He trembled in realization, in rage, in _fury._

"What the hell do you want, Laxus?!"

"What do I want?" Laxus feigned surprise. "Oh man, oh man. Let's see. But it's not my birthday.~ Oh, but that's not what you meant, right? And let's be real-- you probably don't even remember the fuckin' date."

"I asked you a question, young man! Answer me, you stubborn little brat! Don't be obtuse!"

"Hahahaha," Laxus laughed. "Can't even _try_ to hide your contempt for me, huh? Oh well. Anyway.

I'm here to give you all some good and bad news. Good news first, hmm?~ I just ran into Evergreen and had a little chat with her. After much consideration, I decided to free the girls. So after this Projection is done, that's what's gonna happen. Bad news though.~ Since I won't have any hostages left, I gotta change the rules." He tapped a finger against his cheek and grinned. It was unnerving to see since well, Laxus _never did that,_ much less genuinely smile. "The game is gonna be different. It'll still be a battle royale, but with an added obstacle.

\--It's called Thunder Palace. And it's gonna fry everything in it's path from a 5 mile radius onwards."

"You're crazy!" Erza declared. "A madman! How dare you, you spineless cur!"

"Ah ah ah, not done, red-haired retriever. Shut the fuck up and listen now, so you can curse me out later. Where was I?

\--Oh right. Yes, so you all have to avoid those now, _atop_ of Freed's already active Enchantments. Though... to be honest, you can't really _avoid_ them as much as you can't _destroy_ them. I'll let you figure out what I mean by that. Thunder Palace is a fairly new spell I cooked up, so no, nobody really knows about it except for you all now. And because it's so new, I can't really control where it-- or rather, they, end up. And there's many. 300 at least."

"300? That's alot... wait, 300 of what?" Natsu asked.

Laxus ignored Natsu.

"There is no time limit now. You're lucky to have such a considerate foe like myself. I could just appear and beat everyone... and as much as I rag on you all for being so overly friendly and compassionate to the point of making me physically sick, that would defeat the purpose of this whole shebang."

"What is your point, then?" Erza narrowed her eyes.

Laxus also ignored Erza.

"Regardless, that is your new goal. You have to get rid of all of them, and I do mean _all_. ....And that's it. I won't give you guys another bone. I've been too _lax_ , no pun intended. I can't give everything away or this won't be fun. So, from this moment on... there is no more mercy. I will not give any quarter. Break a leg, Fairy Tail."

He smiled darkly.

" _Or all of your bones_."

In a flash of static, the Thought Projection vanished.

Erza herself had a bead of sweat go down the side of her drop. '300 of them....? Avoid them? What the hell does he mean...?'

Just before she could get a conclusion, the stones cracked, releasing the girls.

"Wahhh! Lucyyyyy!" Happy flew into Lucy's bosom.

"Happy! What the heck happened?! Aw, don't cry!"

Happy sniffled. "I thought you were a goner! I missed you so much!!"

Mirajane frowned. "My head hurts... Oh, what happened? Is the contest over? The Guild is..."

Bisca blinked. She looked down at herself... and swiftly remembered what she was wearing. The green-haired woman looked around. "What the hell? Evergreen froze me! I'm gonna shoot that bitch in the ass!"

Cana looked down at herself.

...And also remembered what she was wearing. 'I should definitely change...' She then looked up at the almost empty Guild Hall until-- "Hey, what's with the purple and red stuff at the door?"

Makarov calmed himself. "Ladies! I'm glad you all are safe," he walked towards them, pointedly avoiding eye-contact with Bisca's and Cana's swimsuit-clad bodies. "Laxus attacked the guild, and I fear it's grown past us now. ...The town _itself_ may be in grave danger." 

\---

"Whoa... that's.. no offense," Lucy frowned. "But your grandson has issues."

"You're not the first to tell me."

"Yeah, but we need to teach him a lesson! If we don't now, he's never going to learn!" Bisca punched her fist into her open palm. "And we don't even know what Thunder Palace is, but it sounds really scary!"

"Oh no! If Thunder Palace is... Master, everyone else is out there! They don't know!!" Mirajane whimpered. "Elfman is...!" She began to tear up.

Makarov and everyone else shared the same shocked, concerned expression. "Warren! We can-"

"No, he was taken down a while ago."

"Mira, don't cry!" Happy flew to her and rubbed under her eyes with his little paws.

She whimpered again and hugged the Exceed, trying to be strong. "I can't help it! I.. I can't stand the thought of him being hurt! I don't wanna lose him!"

"It's okay!," Happy said. "He is your brother after all." He wiped more tears as they fell from her eyes, though some of them fell onto Happy's forehead. He frowned. "But still.. D-Don't cry, Mira! Because, I... I'll cry too! I can't stand watching you be sad!" 

"Damn it! We need someone fast enough and nimble to not get caught up in Thunder Palace, whatever it is! But if Warren was able to fight, he could do both! He's the only Telepath we have!"

"She is not a Telepath... but maybe, Juvia could offer some help?"

Everyone turned around to see the Phantom Duo who finally decided to come downstairs. She was used to being stared at weirdly, so all of the eyes didn't bother her. Gajeel stood besides her -- the two were inseparable. It was easy to tell.

"Juvia couldn't help but overhearing things wih Gajeel-kun upstairs, drip drip drop. Though he's the one to really hear things very well. Juvia is fast enough and nimble enough with her Water Body. Gajeel-kun is fast and nimble too with his Iron."

"Oh, really? Juvia, that's wonderful!" Makarov praised. "But my child, he's a Lightning Mage. His element will inherently hurt you, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it might. But... it's much better than standing around and doing nothing, yes?" Her eyes were hard and calculating, almost like she was back in Phantom Lord.

It made Gajeel smirk to himself.

"Juvia also likes challenges. She has been through the worst patches of her life... sad and lonely. Alone and without compassion. Until she met Gajeel-kun, Juvia couldn't understand happy people. And now she does. Though she has not been part of this Guild long, she has come to understand this Guild is ... _something else_. It is strange, and the commonalities here often confuses her... But, it's what the Guild deems 'happy'. This Laxus is trying to destroy the 'happy'... His personal reasons? Juvia doesn't know why, and to be frank, she doesn't care to know as it is none of her business as a newcomer. All Juvia knows is that this madness must stop. And she wants to stop it, _now_."

"You heard it straight from the horses' mouth. She's tired of your grandson's shit and all of you," Gajeel 'translated'. "Gihihi. To be blunt, same here. I'm mostly tired of the screaming and crying. So it'd be good to get outside, away from you crazies." He rolled his neck around. "And where Juvia goes, I go. Vice versa. It's always how it's been."

"Yes." Juvia confirmed, with a hand on her hip. "Juvia and Gajeel-kun are a package deal. Her allegiance is to him, first and foremost. Vice versa."

Recovering from the shock of the Water Mage's strong conviction, Makarov nodded. "I understand."

"Good, now that we're all on the same side... we need a game plan. We can't just step into the jaws into hell without a direction." Erza sharply turned to Makarov. "So please, Master! Tell us what to do!"

He sighed, and folded his arms behind his back. "Alright. I believe the best plan of--"

"YES!" Levy screamed, covered in ink and papers. "I FINALLY GOT IT!"

She ran towards the group with her findings. "I cracked the code! We can really fight back now!!"

* * *

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_8 combatants left._

Evergreen groaned in pain.

Her vision was going in and out.

"Tsk, tsk. What a shame," Laxus squatted down next to her.

Evergreen lifted her head from the cobblestoned street to see him.

She smelled singed hair. (Was it hers?)

Saw black smoke from the corner of her eye.

Remnants of a destroyed building from a battle.

His image tilted its head to the side.

She could see through him.

'A Thought Projection spell...' she thought. 'What a cruel man... he swapped himself out... but when? Just now..? Damn it, how dare he mock me!?' Her eyes felt heavy and she winced.

Her body softly coursed (read: uncomfortably convulsed) with electricity.

"If you weren't a spy sent by Gramps, I would have probably taken you out on a date."

She tried to focus her eyes. "W...what.....? But.. I thought you.."

"Hated you? Pfft. I mean yeah, I despise you but still. It's funny to me, because had you _actually_ not followed me that one night, I wouldn't have minded approaching you." 

Her mouth fell open in disbelief. "You..."

"Eh, but I'll live. There's other fish in the sea." One of the specter's arms dangled off his thigh while his chin sat in his other hand. He looked...

...disappointed...?

'But Laxus never showed any emotion before...! Wait, did he just call me a-- So... he definitely... he knew already... yet...'

He sighed. "As for you, well. You'll only have me in your dreams. Again, it's a shame. You were pretty."

Her eyes closed. The fight she had, the little bit of it left slowly. "...you.. played us like fiddles...! D-damn you..!!"

"Damn _yourself_ for being a blind little lamb to the slaughter." The Thought Projection stood up and watched her slip into unconsciousness, with a shadow covering the top half of his face. "...All of you have damned yourselves."

just then, a round, glass ball with a thunder bolt in the center rolled past the both of them and turned a corner a half block away from them, before stopping.

"Enjoy my Thunder Palace."

He scattered himself into static before he could see the results.

_K-KRAK! BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_7 combatants left._

_Evergreen is rendered unable to fight._

_Thunder Palace is now in effect._

* * *

"Alright, so that's the plan for everybody, huh?" Lucy asked. "Aww, I don't know if I'll be of any use..."

"Don't worry! You'll be with me, Lucy!" Levy reminded. "I know you're a Celestial Mage, so you're not too physically strong... but your brains are just as good, if not better! There's more than one type of strength, don't forget!"

Lucy felt ... well no, she _still_ wished she had more raw power, but Levy did have a point. She smiled anyway. "Thanks, Levy! At least you think so!"

"I'm not a fighter anymore..." Mirajane bit on her bottom lip. "So I'm in the same boat as Lucy. I-I don't know what to do. Or if I can even do anything..."

"Well you have your fists, right?" Happy chimed in from his spot on her shoulder. "You can punch things away!"

"Y-yes... but that's only with my Take-Over," she corrected gently. "Which I don't have access to, anymore."

"Then you don't have to fight. Like Levy said," Erza turned towards her sharply. "There is more than one type of strength. Physical prowess and raw power isn't everything."

"I know, but...!"

"No buts." Erza interjected. "You are a member of Fairy Tail, aren't you? Is it our way to give up?"

"...you're right." She muttered. Her complaint-- worry, was an actual _problem,_ though. Mirajane would just get in the way...

"Mira, come be with us!" Lucy waved. "We'll figure out something!"

"Oh...! Thank you...!" She went over to them and smiled.

"Erza's kinda harsh, isn't she?" Lucy whispered.

"Well... yes, but I understand why she is the way she is. Master's trained her well. Her mind can't comprehend defeat. It's... admirable but kinda scary..." Mirajane was the same age as Erza -- 18, but most people forgot-- including Mira, herself. They were so different...

Lucy handed her a book. "You're with us now, so you don't have to worry about that."

Mirajane's face lit up. "I won't let you girls down!"

"I get to fight with Master! Hell yeah! Hahahaha!"

"This isn't funny, you little shit!" Makarov's hand stretched and the back of his palm smacked Natsu roughly upside the head. "Get serious for once in your goddamn life!"

Red runes rewrote themselves.

_**Natsu Dragneel is not allowed to participate in the Battle of Fairy for any reason, alone.** _

While purple runes once again automatically updated itself:

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_8 combatants._

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu cackled. "It finally acknowledged me! Good job, Levy!"

"No problem!" The bookworm gave him a thumbs up with the free hand not occupied by a Magic Pen.

"Let's go, Juvia. I've been itching to fight. Gihihi. Though, I wouldn't fuckin' up his spell too. Whatever comes first, right?"

"Yes." She caught his familiar-- way too familiar, crazed grin. It made her cheeks flush pink. "Juvia and Gajeel-kun will do what they do best.... drip, drip, drop." She turned on her heel sharply, opened her umbrella and tilted it at an angle while giving Gajeel a sly little smile.

He punched his fist into palm. "...And that's destroyin' shit!"

They took their leave.

_Battle of Fairy Tail Progress:_

_9 combatants._

"Huh? Why it'd go up?" Natsu asked.

Erza's face lit up in hope and she smirked proudly. "How easily you forget, Natsu. There's one of ours who's constantly away, whose face is never seen. He might as well be the single-most strongest member of Fairy Tail." 

* * *

A heavily cloaked man walked into the city, a bag hoisted over one shoulder.

On his back were multiple staves.

["... Mystogan!"]

* * *

"Good!" Makarov sighed a sigh of relief. "If Mystogan is here, the odds will definitely be turned in our favor!"

"Hell yeah! Now I'm _really_ fired up!"

"We're setting out, Master!!" Mirajane waved. "Good luck!"

"Good luck, my children!" He waved back, as Levy, Mirajane and Lucy left (Happy too, quiet as the cat was).

"Hey, we're going out too!" Cana slung her blue-featured bag over a shoulder horizontally.

"We're going to round up the members who were defeated! If we're all going to strike back and kick his ass, we're going to need all the help we can get!" Bisca said, tipping her hat down. "C'mon, Cana! I'm ready!"

"Right!"

They left, after Makarov also wished them good luck.

"Let's go, Gramps! Me and you! Let's kick some Dreyar butt!"

Makarov just looked at Natsu and sighed. "....." He didn't even have the energy to fix his face (which was that of pure irritation that wasn't quite Laxus-levels of contempt, but edged towards it).

He just started walking.

"Uh--! Gramps, hey, waaaait!" He ran after him.

Erza requipped into her standard Heart Kreuz armor. She clenched her fist.

_"...mindless attack dog."_

_"Master's Pet."_

'You're wrong, Laxus.' She thought. 'I'll show you. You'll eat your words.'

With renewed determination, she too, set out.


End file.
